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The facility on Railex Road off Highway 12 will position the area to become a major transportation hub, opening up routes to Seattle and Tacoma docks and as far east as Chicago, company officials have said. Service could eventually expand to markets such as the I-5 corridor and Mexico, they’ve said.

Tiger Cool Express touted the intermodal ramp at a media day in the spring. Scores of reporters and others toured the in-progress facility, watching demonstrations of how containers would be moved between trucks and trains, and hearing more about the potential benefits.

The company said the logistics center

Along with the intermodal ramp, the facility is to include a 200,000-squarefoot former Union Pacific Railroad Cold Connect warehouse. Union Pacific pulled the plug on its Cold Connect refrigerated railcar service in 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Tiger Cool Express announced in fall 2021 that it was acquiring the warehouse and planned to develop the intermodal ramp at the site.

The source expressed optimism about the future of the Tiger Tri-Cities Logistics Center.

“You can’t keep a good idea down. It’s a good idea that’s been embraced by everybody. It’s a matter of overcoming this bump and moving on,” the source said.

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COSTCO, From page A1 start at $400,000 a year, going up every five years to $585,640 a year; after 25 years, a new amount would be determined by an appraisal. list of new Costco locations coming soon doesn’t include a site in Richland or anywhere else in the Tri-Cities.

The letter also references major road improvements in the area.

The letter of interest was submitted to DNR in June and lease negotiations apparently are underway.

A DNR spokesman said in early July that there were no updates to share.

The Queensgate area property is state trust land, among the millions of acres granted to Washington by Congress at statehood to provide revenue for K-12 school construction.

The land used to be managed as an orchard, “but as Richland and West Richland grew to surround it, the parcel became more valuable for development,” beneficiaries.”

He added that, “We spent years working with the prior lessee and the city to ensure a seamless transition as the lease expired, and the parcel was rezoned for a variety of developments, including commercial, residential and open space zoning.”

If the Richland Costco happens, it would be the second location in the TriCities.

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Education & Training Parade of Homes magazine

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A Costco spokesman previously said it’s company policy not to comment about future warehouses or construction until the company is ready to share details about a new location. An official

VA CLINIC, From page A1

“The Tri-Cities area has more veterans seeking care than other locations within the Walla Walla catchment area, and it is important to bring needed specialty care services to the Tri-Cities area so these veterans can access and receive more VA services closer to home,” she said. Vista Field as a possible site

Port of Kennewick staff brought the developer requests to port commissioners at a special meeting in June. The staffers reported that a clinic at Vista Field wouldn’t be consistent with the master plan as approved by the port and the city of Kennewick and may not be consistent with city zoning.

They also noted that it’s unclear if Vista Field meets the VA’s criteria for a suitable site, based on the limited information included in the agency’s advertisement.

But, after lengthy discussion, commissioners agreed to allow the developers to list Vista Field in their submissions. The decision doesn’t bind the port to sell or lease Vista Field property or change its use, but merely leaves open the possibility of a clinic at the site instead of closing the door for good at this point.

“We’re not committing. There are

Kenny Ocker, a communications manager for DNR, told the Journal of Business in June, noting that DNR has a duty as a trust manager to “manage lands for the highest and best use for their designated plenty of other exit ramps if it doesn’t work for us. But I say, let’s give the VA the opportunity and go from there,” Commissioner Thomas Moak said during the meeting.

Port staff will continue marketing Vista Field for uses consistent with the master plan.

The port shuttered the former airport in 2013 and began working on its transformation; the 103-acre site is next to the Toyota Center and the Three Rivers Convention Center.

The port has invested $4.9 million in infrastructure for the first 20 acres of development – a phase that’s set to include four parcels for single-family development, seven for live-work development and 10 for mixed-use. At full build-out, Vista Field is planned to include 750,000 square feet for retail, office, service and entertainment uses, 1,100 residential units, and more.

Clinic details

The existing Richland veterans clinic opened in May 2008.

It offers services including primary outpatient care, women veteran heath care, mental health/social work support and homeless veteran housing support.

The existing warehouse off Gage Boulevard in Kennewick employs about 530 people and draws 80,000 to 100,000 shoppers a week. It’s currently undergoing a remodel.

“We have outgrown (the clinic) and cannot provide the services our veterans need within the existing space. The veterans in the Tri-Cities area can be better served by expanding services in this area to reduce travel time and increase efficiency in providing the world class health care the veterans deserve,” Wondra said in a statement, noting that about 7,400 enrolled veterans in the Tri-Cities area, as well as 2,700 in the Boardman, Oregon, area, will benefit from the new clinic.

An interim expansion of the existing clinic is anticipated by mid-2024 and will add physical therapy and expand behavioral health support.

The new clinic will add several more specialties, including radiology, optometry, dental, audiology, prosthetics, homebased primary care, laboratory and pharmacy services.

The project is estimated to cost $21plus million.

It’s one of 31 projects nationwide selected for PACT Act funding. The PACT Act – formally the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 – is the largest expansion of veteran health care and benefits in generations, Wondra said.

West Richland woman sentenced for fraud

A 52-year-old West Richland woman has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in Covid-19 relief funds, according to a statement from Vanessa R. Waldref, United States attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

Jimia Rae Cain fraudulently obtained $337,267 in CARES Act funding in July and August 2020 in the name of her purported business, Americore Construction, the statement said.

However, Americore wasn’t an active business during the relevant time period, didn’t have employees and wasn’t eligible for federal funding, the statement said, adding that Cain used false statements and fictitious tax and payroll documentation.

In addition to the prison time, Cain was sentenced to three years of federal supervision after her release and is required to repay the $337,267, the statement said.

The sentence was the result of work by the Covid-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force.

Registration underway for diversity summit

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the Tri-Cities Diversity Summit on July 27 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

This will be the first in-person Tri-Cities Diversity Summit since 2019.

The annual half-day event focuses on helping professionals create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

The event will conclude with the regional chamber’s July membership luncheon, featuring the presentation of the Tri-Cities Champion of Diversity Awards and a keynote presentation from Robyn Kelley, chief diversity officer at Gonzaga University.

Registration costs $70 for regional chamber members, $90 for nonmembers and includes the luncheon.

Registration for the luncheon-only is $30 for members or $40 for nonmembers.

Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com/ diversity-summit.html.

Port celebrates contributions of the late Robert L. Ferguson

The Port of Benton held a community tribute July 6 to recognize Robert L. Ferguson’s vision, leadership, dedication and advocacy for the Tri-Cities.

The event included a street-renaming ceremony and the unveiling of a commemorative monument in honor of the late community leader, who died last year.

The Port of Benton Commission approved the proclamation at its June 14, 2023, meeting, honoring Ferguson.

It reads in part, “Bob’s’ generosity and compassionate spirit will live on in those who were lucky enough to work with him and will remain strong for generations to come, and the impact of Bob’s contributions to the community will forever stay a legacy throughout the community.”

Ferguson was a leader in advanced clean energy and education initiatives, including a major contribution to Washington State University Tri-Cities, which led to the creation of the Institute of Northwest Energy Futures.

He was one of the youngest reactor operators at Hanford’s B Reactor, project manager at the Fast Flux Test Facility, deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy and president of R.L. Ferguson & Associates.

He was the first chairman of the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), a former chief executive officer of Washington Public Power Supply System, now Energy Northwest, a tireless advocate of the Hanford site, and co-founder of “Clean Up Hanford Now,” a nonprofit advocating for the cleanup of the Hanford site.

Richland’s Kadlec now a Level 2 trauma center

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland is now a Level 2 trauma center — one of only two in Eastern Washington. The designation comes from the Washington State Department of Health, which assigns levels to hospitals based on their capability to treat traumas.

The new designation, which Kadlec has been working toward for more than a decade, means the Richland hospital is “one of the few medical centers in Washington that has the teams of specialists, equipment and resources necessary to treat trauma. For a critically injured person, this can make the difference between life and death,” Kadlec officials said in a statement announcing the designation.

“Research has shown that if severely injured people reach the right hospital with the right team of specialists to treat their specific injuries within an hour, their chance of survival dramatically increases. This is often referred to as the ‘golden hour,’” the statement said.

Data shows that when patients receive care during that golden hour, “the outcome is better, not just in survival, but in functional recovery,” said Dr. Eduardo Smith Singares, medical director of trauma and emergency surgical services at Kadlec, in the statement.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane is the other Level 2 trauma center in Eastern Washington. The only Level 1 trauma center in the state is Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Kadlec also has been designated a Level 3 pediatric trauma center, the only one in the Tri-Cities.

Airport launches program to open terminal to non-ticketed visitors

A new program means people no longer need boarding passes to shop, dine, watch planes, view art exhibits and visit with loved ones beyond the TSA checkpoint at the Tri-Cities Airport.

The program is called PSC Pass. Apply at flytricities.com/interact/psc-pass.

A government-issue ID is required to obtain the pass, which is treated as a boarding pass and gives terminal access when the TSA checkpoint opens.

“This program is a great opportunity for the entire community to enjoy our airport,” said Buck Taft, airport director, in the statement. “With PSC Pass, hellos and goodbyes don’t need to be said curbside anymore. People can greet or say farewell to their loved ones right at the gate. Then, they can enjoy a meal at one of our dining options or admire our newest art exhibit before heading home.”

The program is limited to 10 passes a day; participants can apply for one pass per month.

JULY 17

• Lunch with the League: noon-1 p.m. Washington Policy Center virtual event. Learn about how the League of Our Own Washington is empowering women to run for office. Free. Go to: washingtonpolicy.org/events.

JULY 18

• Procurement Technical Assistance Center workshop: “Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Certification and Why It Is Important”: 3-5 p.m., Benton County Justice Center Campus, Administrative Building, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick. Register at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events.

• Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce July luncheon: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pasco Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave. Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers. Register at tchispanicchamber. com.